Scaling Retail Growth in a Saturated Digital World

Author: David Lorango, Fractional CMO, Global Retail Brands

“On the forefront, it’s about engaging with the consumer, understanding the feedback loop, and giving our customers a differentiated buyer experience."

"Challenges are around awareness and the lower funnel. Channels can reach a saturation point and then over‑saturation, eventually you’re just bidding against yourself if you remain on the same channel. So we’re looking across the board at brand awareness and digital specifically."

In today’s retail landscape, growth isn’t just about scale, it’s about precision. As digital channels mature and consumer expectations evolve, brands are being pushed to rethink how they show up, convert, and stay relevant.

In this conversation, David Lorango, Fractional CMO to global retail brands, shares a candid look at what it really takes to drive performance today, from navigating lower-funnel saturation to leveraging agentic AI and redefining how fashion brands build awareness. Drawing from experience across enterprise retailers and high-growth startups, he breaks down where the real opportunities lie and where many brands are still getting it wrong.

Q: What metrics are you targeting from the digital channel, and how do you use AI to drive growth?

At one of the largest fashion retailers with a global footprint, our core KPIs are standard e‑commerce metrics: click‑through rate, CPG, and conversion. We’re exploring agentic AI tools to analyze on‑site behavior, to understand how consumers engage and where conversion opportunities exist. Our major initiative is agentic AI and search: how do we show up where consumers already are? Examples include chat and platforms like Claude. We haven’t fully systematized workflows yet, but we’re using AI primarily to model consumer behavior.

Q: What is the history of the company and its growth? Who are your competitors?

The brand has grown rapidly and internationally. Founded in Asia, it now operates across the UK, Australia, Europe, Canada, Korea, China, and the U.S. In the U.S., we focus on core basics customers can style to express their identity — tees, denim, and wardrobe essentials. Primary competitors include H&M, Gap, and Zara. I also see Quince as an emerging competitor: they’re gaining traction with Gen Z on search platforms and scaling quickly, even if their social creative isn’t yet top tier. We position the company as a quality brand, not a value or discount label. We deliver consistent, high‑quality products at accessible prices. Basics remain our core strength, and winterwear is a growing segment,  seasonal but expanding in demand and assortment. We aim to keep winning on quality. Some peers like H&M and Zara have dipped; Gap appears to be recovering. Consumers choose us because they know what to expect.

Q: What is your biggest challenge right now?

Finding ways to scale the lower funnel. Although I work across brand and performance, the hardest part is overcoming diminishing returns and continuing to drive efficient, high‑performing conversions at scale.

Q: From a digital perspective, what platforms or products are you hoping to bring in that are new or innovative?

It’s less about a single platform and more about presence and content. Fashion brands win when influencer and user‑generated content saturate channels. When I joined, we weren’t doing much on TikTok, now we are, but we still need more. We have a large opportunity to grow reach; closing that gap versus competitors means being everywhere with compelling content. The consumer should tell the story for us. Fashion scales when consumers share the brand experience, not just the brand itself. Brands can rise or fall quickly, look at recent rapid exits in CPG. Longevity is possible, but the speed of change is real.

Q: Are you considering a membership model or category expansion?

I don’t have full visibility into roadmap decisions, but I see significant emphasis on awareness and category growth. Examples like major naming‑rights investments show a push to raise brand profile.

Q: What’s your background and story?

I started building internal digital programs early in my career, then led e‑commerce at Forever 21 and scaled a specialty brand from $30k to ~$30M in three years before exiting after Series B. I’ve served as a fractional head of growth for large brands, consulted for growth‑stage companies, and founded an agency and coaching business. My work spans enterprise‑level consultancy and emerging e‑commerce brands, about 15 years of experience condensed.

Q: What motivated you to join the company?

As a consultant, I joined because of the growth opportunity. The brand has relatively low awareness but high revenue, a clear opportunity to scale. The fundamentals are strong; the digital discipline needed focus. Since I joined, e‑commerce and retail performance have improved substantially.

Q: From a U.S. perspective, where is growth happening and where are you focused?

We have 75 U.S. stores (and hundreds in Asia). The Northeast remains strong, and major cities are key. Texas is a strategic priority, winning there would unlock broader national growth. We’re thoughtful about store openings to ensure the right strategic fit.

What emerges is a clear tension shaping modern retail: the balance between scale and efficiency, awareness and conversion, brand and performance. As channels crowd and consumer behavior shifts, the advantage no longer comes from simply doing more but from doing it smarter.

For David, the path forward is rooted in understanding the consumer more deeply, showing up where they already are, and building a brand experience that people want to share on their own. In a space where trends move fast and competition moves faster, the brands that endure will be the ones that stay consistent in quality, sharp in strategy, and relentless in adapting to change.